Forever Innocence: The Return of the Dark Mistress
by ShadowKat
Summary: A girl with a black heart haunting hurt lives in her past she has no purpose in this life but her destiny will decide for her. Will the meeting of others bring back her reality and shatter the Dark dreams haunting her?
1. Chapter One

Dark Mistress

Serevus Snape-black greasy haired, hooked nosed, mean tempered teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry-walked around the school. He guessed it was about 2 in the morning, the perfect time for young children to be up and running about the school causing trouble. That's why he took to patrolling the school at this time, there was always the chance of catching a student causing mischievous and giving them a detention.

He walked around the Charm's corridor but found nothing. It was rather boring, doing this without any reasonable chance of catching the one student he hated... Harry Potter. Mr. Potter was the one student that he hated most of all, with Harry's same cocky attitude and sense of right. But Harry wouldn't dare miss a chance to be the popular one or to get in the lime light once again. Oh no, Harry wouldn't be James Potter's boy if he didn't seek attention all the time.

"You really shouldn't be doing this. It is, after all, summer," a voice came form the shadows. 

Serevus froze and whirled around, looking around for the source of the voice. "Who's there?"

"You really have lost it this time." 

A girl about 15 stepped out of the shadows and looked at Serevus. She was tall, slender with a slight athletic build. She carried a heavy American accent and wore Flare jeans, a black long sleeved open neck shirt and black sneakers. Her long dark red hair was streaked with white and was pulled back in a high pony tail, and her deep emerald green eyes shone clearly. 

Serevus shook his head. "Maybe so, Lori, but I think your analysis is off."

The girl, Lori, laughed softly-making the corridor ring with an almost silent note. "Come now, I don't think I'd make a snap judgment on my father, now would I? No, I don't think so. But it shows how much you know about me." Lori's tone changed from pleasant to venomous without warning. "Maybe if you weren't in such a hurry to work you'd actually notice some things about me." 

Lori turned around and stalked down the corridor, away from her father. Serevus stared after her, almost helplessly. If only she really knew....

Lori Anaiston came from a dark background that no one knew much about. She grew up in an orphanage that wasn't the most pleasant of them all. But luckily she really didn't have to live there long. When she was 4 she was adopted by the Anaistons-a friendly couple who had tried to have a baby but had ot succeeded. She was a happy little girl growing up, not a care in the world and her emerald eyes always shone with a light that couldn't be put out even when she was sad.

Lori loved the Anaistons like they were her own parents. In her opinion, her family that she didn't know couldn't even begin to compare to the Anaistons. They were nice, friendly, caring, loving, funny, and happy. They made her life happy and everything was good to little Lori. 

When Lori was 13-still her own happy self-her parents agreed to take a vacation in Africa for her birthday. Their plane left on the 23rd of May at 10:45 PM. The day they were to leave wasn't sunny and warm as it was supposed to be, instead it was cold and rainy. 

The rain was coming down in sheets as they drove on the deserted highway, trying to make it to the airport on time. Lori still remembered that day... She dreamed about it in her nightmares and she saw it every time she closed her eyes. There was the sound of squealing tires trying to find traction on the slick road, the sickening crunch of metal on metal, and the screaming of her parents. Lori was thrown forward and hit her head on driver's seat, knocking herself unconscious. When the medics arrived, she was the only survivor they were able to pull out alive of the car.

Lori soon fell into a coma once she was admitted into the hospital. Her wounds were serious and she had a bad head strike. It looked like things wouldn't improve for the once again orphaned teenage girl. But almost a year later Lori came out of it and took her first look around her. No one wanted to break the news to her, she seemed like a happy girl who didn't deserve this kind of pain.

But Lori demanded what happened to her parents since they hadn't come to visit her and they weren't in the hospital. The nurse that was in charge of Lori finally broke down under the girl's questions and told her. She watched helplessly as the girl got a shocked and sick look on her face and started to cry. 

It was another five months before the hospital released her. Lori remembered that day very well. The hospital had done all it could to sort things out for the girl, they had tried to find any of her relatives that were able enough to take care of her. But the closest they found was a grandmother who was in the hospital with cancer. All of Lori's other relatives were too old to take good care of her. 

Everything looked like it would head down one street, back to the orphanage. Lori had already strongly protested against going back but it was really her only option. So there she stood on the sidewalk of the hospital waiting with Joy-the nurse who had taken care of her-waiting for the cab to take her back to the orphanage. But that's when the most amazing thing happened. 

Instead of a cab pulling up a back car pulled up. Out of the passenger's seat came a short little man with a pinstriped suit and bowler hat. He extended his hand towards Lori and smiled warmly. "Mrs. Anaiston, I am Cornelius Fudge. I am here to take you to your real birth father," he said with a crisp British accent. 

Lori stared at him with amazed eyes. "My... Birth.... What?" 

"Your birth father. Come now, I have everything arranged and ready. You will come with me to the airport and we'll put you on the next plan to England-"

He began to pull Lori into the car as he kept talking. Lori couldn't believe it, what was going on? She was seated in the back seat of the car and rolled down the window. Joy walked up to it and gave her a teary smile. "Be good, Lor, and write to me, all right? You'll be okay?" 

Lori nodded. "I will. Look for a post from me soon, and-" Lori leaned closer to Joy, "I might need to crash with you if things are bad. You won't mind if I suddenly turn up on your doorstep?" 

Joy laughed quietly. "No. Bye, Lori."

"Bye!" Lori called as the car began to pull away and Joy stepped back from it. Lori rolled up the window and leaned back in the seat and gave a mental sigh. She silently wished LA a good-bye and fell asleep.

When she awoke, Lori felt like she had been through the blender. "Oh, MAN!" She yelled loudly, not really meaning too. "I SWEAR I will kill the person who gave me that damn sleeping pill!"

She stood up on weak legs and walked over to the door. She didn't take in the room, she only took in what she could in her blurred vision. She pulled open the door and walked down a long hallway, cursing her legs all the way. At the end of the hallway there was a flight of stairs going down. "Agh!" She moaned as she started them. She had a feeling that sleeping on the plane wasn't such a good idea. 

Once she was down the stairs, she stopped for a second to lean against the stair's banister to catch her breath and then curse her legs some more. Once she had regained most feeling in her legs she pushed herself away from the banister and went down another hallway. There was a door at the end and she pushed it open, only to walk into a small kitchen. "Dammit!" She hissed as her legs gave out and she collapsed on the ground, only to roll down a smaller flight of stairs.

"Chikushoume!" She yelled as she flipped herself onto her back and got up. She stood and brushed herself off, looking around. There was a backdoor in front of her, next to it was the regular kitchen appliances with cabinets on the wall with the backdoor and a counter across from them. Then in the corner was a small wooden table and chairs, and over to the right wall was another staircase. 

"Kuso!" She said as she spotted the two men sitting at the table. One she recognized as Cornelius, the other was a tall man with greasy black hair, beady black eyes, a snarl on his face, hooked nose and pale skin wearing black robes. 

"Lori, I'm so happy that you're awake. I was afraid that you would sleep for the rest of the day and miss the opportunity to get properly acquainted with you father. This is Serevus Snape, Lori-your father," Cornielus said as he stood, motioning towards the black haired man sitting across from him.

"Mesuinu," she spat. She was not in a good mood. "Kokuzoku, no chikushoume."

"Speak English for heaven's sake, idiot girl!" Serevus snapped.

"Oh, would you like a translation? Lemme lay it down like this. I'm in the ghetto, so lay it up and lemme get some air." 

Serevus got a dangerous look on his face. Lori ignored it and walked out of the back door, yelling over her shoulder, "you bitch!" 

The door slammed shut and Serevus relaxed a bit. Cornielus looked uncomfortable and slightly worried. "I don't think that was the start we were looking for, Serevus. Do you really think it wise for her to walk around unknowing in the wizarding world, unsupervised?"

"She'll learn."

"But... She knows nothing of our ways, of the Dark Lord. She doesn't know the risk involved, she won't understand what she sees. What if she goes back to the Muggles? What would she tell them? If this gets out I'll be ruined-"

"She'll learn. She seems able to handle herself."

Cornielus just sighed and shook his head. "We'll see. I'll wait here with you for her to come back."


	2. Chapter Two

****

Chapter Two

Lori was confused as sin. She left her father's house only to find herself facing the back of some sort of market. She had gone in the market, looking at the carts and shops as she wound her way through the narrow cobble stone ally. Some of the stuff was weird-like lizard eyes and bat wings and toads-and some was just freaky-like people who ate some sort of candy and growing 8 extra limbs, a skunk being transformed into a scarf and people turning into stone.

"This is either some freaky carnival or I've gone insane," she muttered to herself as she made her way through the crowd. She stopped suddenly and cursed to high heaven. She turned away and put a hand over her eyes, she did NOT need to see that. There was a decapitate body on the ground in front of her, bleeding freely. 

Suddenly she felt a hand go around her ankle. She was just about to spin around when she heard someone next to her. "Don't move."

The voice muttered something and there was a screeching. Lori was suddenly thrown forward, hitting the ground hard an cutting open her lip. She rolled onto her back and looked at the thing. She almost fainted. The beheaded body was standing in front of a boy her age with bright blonde hair, pale skin, and steel gray eyes. Suddenly she saw some sort of arrow start to come forth from the creature's skin. 

"Hey, watch out!" She yelled as she got to her feet and ran towards the boy. She pushed him to the ground as she felt the arrow enter her arm. She gave a cry of pain and rolled off the boy. "Ungh," she moaned as she pushed herself up without thinking. 

The world was starting to spin very fast. It was hard to stand, but something inside her kept her standing. "What are you doing?" Someone yelled. 

"Get away from that!"

"Move it girl!"

"You're going to get killed!"

Voices were spinning around her. Lori narrowed her eyes to try and make out what was happening. She saw the body, was it coming her way or going away? She couldn't tell. Something inside her pulled at her.

Lori reached over to her arm and took hold of the arrow still protruding from it. She yanked it out and bit down hard on her lip to stop from yelling. It hurt like shit! She took aim with the arrow-at least as well as she could with her world spinning so fast-and let go. 

There was a scream, a screech, and the sound of something falling. Or was that people moving? She couldn't tell anymore, it was too hard. "I don't think that was supposed to happen," she muttered as she blacked out.

Draco Malfoy was looking around at the cart full of bats when he heard cursing. It surprised him because it sounded like a girl. He had never heard a girl swear that badly before, so he turned around to investigate. What a shock he got. There was a tall, slender girl with long dark red hair streaked with white, and deep emerald green eyes standing with her back facing a beheaded body. The body was actually a creature called a Mamorth.

Without thinking Draco rushed to the girl's side. "Don't move," he told her quietly, standing next to her, wand out stretched as the Mamorth got to its feet; it already had a hold on her ankle. He muttered a simple fire spell, aiming at the hand of the Mamorth. The thing screamed and the girl was thrown forward. Draco took a few steps back, pointing his wand at the Mamorth as it stood at its full height.

He saw the Mamorth's next attack and was getting ready to deflect it when he heard a yell behind him. "Hey, watch out!" Before he knew what happened, he was knocked to the ground and heard a moan from atop him. He hit the ground and felt another body roll of him. He glanced to his left and saw that it was the girl he had rescued. She had the Mamorth's arrow protruding from her arm.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the girl was on her feet and standing. She stood tall as the Mamorth came rushing towards her. The crowd around them was yelling at her, but Draco knew she couldn't really hear what they were saying, just as she couldn't see. The Mamorth's venom was already seeping into her veins. 

Suddenly the girl reached over to her side and yanked out the arrow. Draco winced mentally as he stood. He pointed his wand and was about to say the spell that would take care of the creature when the Mamorth screamed suddenly. It had its own arrow poking out of its chest; apparently the girl had thrown it and had hit it. The Mamorth collapsed on the ground and didn't move again. 

"I don't think that was supposed to happen," the girl said before falling to the ground. Draco reached out and caught her, pulling her to him. Her lip was cut open and she was bleeding badly. He picked her up and held her draped across his arms as he ran through the crowd, looking for his mother who he had accompanied on her little outing. 

He found her in the crowd with a horrified look on her face. "We need to get her home, fast," Draco told her. She nodded and the both of them ran through the crowd, making their way towards the portkey that they would use to go home. They reached a brick wall and stopped, Draco's mother grabbing an old key from it's place on top of the wall. Draco touched the key with his mother and clutched the girl to him. There was a sharp pulling from above his naval and he knew they were on their way home.

****

Lori slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a big room with dark green carpet and white walls. The windows were big and the dark green drapes looked expensive on them; the room was furnished with wood furniture that looked really expensive, more then the drapes. She sat up and looked down, only to find she was in a Queen sized bed with silk sheets. 

Wearily she rubbed her eyes; her head hurt like crazy. "Gah," she muttered as she pushed herself out of the bed and stretched. She was still wearing her clothes from the day before... That's when it hit her. The body, the boy, her father. She gasped and looked around, this possibly couldn't be her father's house or a hospital, could it?

No, it couldn't. That must mean it was-at that exact moment the door to her right opened and the same pale boy she had seen in the market walked in wearing black robes. "Ah, you're awake. I'm glad to see that," he said.

Lori spun around and took a defensive stance. She eyed the boy for a few seconds, something inside of her was saying that she could trust him. So she carefully came out of her stance and looked at him. "I'm sure you are. Could you please explain to me what I'm doing here in this insane world? I leave from LA to come here to be with my father and-"

"Wait, you mean you don't know?"

The boy's voice was unsure and confused. "Yeah, I don't know. But it depends on what you mean."

"Oh jeez... Well, I have time so I might as well take it." 

He went on to explain what she was and what was going on and everything. The whole thing only took close to 2 hours total. At the end Lori just kind of stared at him. "You are...?" She asked.

"Draco Malfoy."

"I'm where?"

"In my family's estate."

"I see... Thanks for the explanation and the save, Draco. You're a real nice guy to do that for me. But you see, I've really gotta go. I have to go find my father and get back there-"

"What's your father's name?"

"I don't really know, I was left at a doorstep in America and didn't know my real parents. I just now met him. I think his name is... Sam Sleft? No... Serevus..."

"Severus Snape?"

"Yes, that's it. You know him?"

Draco laughed softly. "Only, he's my Potions teacher at Hogwarts, my head of house, and a acquaintance of my father's."

"Wow, didn't know that about him. Seems like a jerk though. So can you tell me where to find him?"

Draco looked a little unsure for a few minutes. Lori stood there, looking at him, a kind of light in her eyes... Hell, it was hard. "Well?" She asked.

Draco smiled at her. "I can do better then show you. I can take you there."

Serevus sat in his study, staring at a book. He couldn't read it, even if it was his favorite. He was, strangely enough, worried about Lori. It had been a week since she had come into his house, a week ago she had insulted him an walked out the door. A week ago he had told the Minister of Magic that she would be all right and that she would learn things fast, and a week ago the attack of the Mamorth was reported in the market. 

He sighed and closed the book. Damn Lori, she was too much trouble. All this uprising and fighting was becoming an issue, how could he watch over her if he was at work? He shook his head and decided to go up to bed. Lori should come back soon.

Getting the Potion teacher's address from his father wasn't a problem for Draco-although he was facing a serious punishment if his father found out that he had snuck into his office and stolen it. Lucius Malfoy was not a man to be messed with. But Draco didn't really care, Lori had asked him and feeling strange he had agreed. What had happened to him-he never did anything if he didn't think it would benefit him. 

Something about Lori seemed to have an affect on him. It was like there was something within him telling him to give her a chance and not to scare her off. He had never felt like that, not even for Pansy Parkison-his fellow Slytherin and ex-girlfriend.

He glanced behind him at Lori. She was leaning close to him on his Nimbus 2001 broomstick, a look of wonder on her face. It was true she didn't know what magic was or how to fly on a broom, but she was enjoying everything he was showing her and teaching her. 

"There!" Lori called as she caught sight of her father's house. "There it is!"

Draco circled around the house and made a smooth landing in front of it. Lori jumped off and looked at the house. The drapes were pulled shut and the house seemed to be empty. Lori took a few steps towards it and tried to peer into the window without actually touching the house. 

"I don't think he's here..." She said. She frowned and went up to the door. She pulled out a hairpin from her hair and inserted it into the lock. She fiddled with the hairpin for a few seconds before she heard a click. She turned the handle and pushed the door open. She glanced inside the house and saw that it was dark.

I don't like this feeling I'm getting, she thought. She whirled around and ran back towards Draco who was starting to take flight again. "Draco, wait! Wait!" She screamed as she jumped up into the air and took a one-handed grab at his broom. She caught it and hung there for a second before Draco pulled her up. She leaned over his shoulder so she could whisper into his ear. "Can I stay with you for a while?" 

Draco nodded and she encircled her arms around him. "Thanks."

When Draco touched down again with Lori, his mother was waiting for him outside. "Draco, there you are! We've been looking everywhere for you!" Narcissa yelled. She was a very pretty lady, tall and slim with the same white-blonde hair as Draco and baby blue eyes. 

"Mum, can Lori stay with us? Her family isn't quite... Ready to have her, yet." Draco said as he took his broom and let himself be pulled by his mother. Lori followed behind him.

"Yes, yes. That will be great. But Draco, you really must tell us where you're going before you leave the house. I was worried sick about where you and Lori were. Now come, your father wants to talk to you."

Lucius Malfoy was a big man with blonde hair, steel gray eyes and a hard attitude. You couldn't help but not want to get on Mr. Malfoy's bad side, he was a scary man when he got mad. Inside the estate Mrs. Malfoy pulled Draco into Mr. Malfoy's office and closed the door. Lori stopped and shrugged, deciding to go up to her room and wait.

Once up and safely locked in her room, Lori flopped down onto the bed. Man, this was one weird day. First she thought she was normal, now she was a witch, and now she was supposed to attend some school that taught their students magic. She sighed and ran her hand through her shoulder length dark red hair. 

She rolled onto her side and caught sight of her bags. Now how did those get here, she wondered. But a familiar shape caught her eye. Instantly she was on her feet and over by her black guitar case, already opening it and pulling out her neon blue electric guitar. "It's been a long time, friend," she muttered as she put the guitar's strap over her shoulder and gently brushed the strings. 

She gave a small smile as she began to play the familiar notes of her favorite song. She opened her mouth and let her voice soar free to the words in her head. "I wanted to be like you,

I wanted, 

Everything,

So I tried to be like you,

And I got swept away,

I didn't know now that you were so cold

Now and you needed someone to show you the way

So I took your hand and we figured out

That when the tide came in I'd take you away."

Just then the door opened and Lori whirled around, stopping in mid-strike of the strings. Her father stood in the door way with Draco and Lucius behind him. "Kuso," she muttered under her breath as she quickly hit the chord she wanted and stopped playing. "Yeah?"

"Where have you been?" Serevus growled. Obviously he was angry. 

"Being attacked. By things I didn't know existed. Thanks for telling me everything. I sure appreciated it."

"Don't give me lip, Lori. You're coming home now."

That was the last straw. "Home? I'm coming home? With you? The person who left me? The person who let me go out in the world and almost get killed? I'm going home with you? You're acting as if I'm some sort of dog you can adopt and take home without another thought. Well guess what, I'm not going."

"She has asked if she could stay with us, Serevus. Think of it, we're happy to have her stay with us for as long as she wants and it'll give you time to finish your work. I'll even get her registered with Dumbledore and everything." Lucius said swiftly.

Serevus glared at Lori for a few seconds. "I didn't know that you were so cold, now, and you needed someone to show you the way." Lori said softly, stroking the chords to the words. "If you want to,

I can save you,

I can take you away from here,

So lonely inside,

So busy out there,

All you wanted was somebody who cares,

I'm sinking slowly,

So hurry and hold me."

"Fine." Serevus finally said. He turned and left the room, calling over his shoulder. "The rest of your bags will be sent to you." 

Lucius followed Serevus, closing the door behind him. That left Draco in Lori's room. "Please tell me so I can finally say where you go when you're gone," Lori whispered as she strummed the last chords to her song. 


	3. Chapter Three

****

Chapter Three

Life at the Malfoy's wasn't so bad Lori decided. They were nice and hospital people, she would've said that they were going out of their way to make her feel comfortable but they really weren't. About the closest thing to out of the way they'd do was to call up one of their many house elves to take care of your needs. 

To Lori's disappointment her father came to eat dinner with the Malfoy's often. While he, Mrs. Malfoy and Mr. Malfoy chatted about some plans or something, Draco and she were left to idly stare at their dinners. Usually Lori excused herself to go and chat with the house elves in the kitchen or went up to her room to play her guitar. But tonight was different.

"Lori, you play an instrument?" Mrs. Malfoy asked.

"Electric guitar, violin or piano."

"Really? Can you play for us?"

"Sure, why not?"

Without another word Lori stood up and ran up to her room, fetched her guitar and ran back downstairs and into the huge ballroom sized dinning room. "Um, any preferences on what I play?" She asked.

"Play that song I hear you humming constantly," Draco suggested. He was always bugging her on it.

"All right." 

Lori put the guitar strap over her shoulder and put her fingers in place. She started the song up and closed her eyes as her fingers gracefully flew over the strings. "I wanted to be like you,

I wanted everything,

So I tried, 

To be like you," she began to sing gently. "And I got swept away,

I didn't know that,

You were so cold and

You needed someone to show you the way

So I took your hand

And we figured out that 

When the tide comes I'll show you the way

If you want too

I can save you

I can take you away from here

So lonely inside

So busy out there

And all you wanted was somebody who cared

I'm sinking slowly

So hurry hold me

Your hand is all that I have

To kept me hanging on

Please can you tell me

So I can finally see

Where you go when your gone

If you want too

I can save you

I can take you away from here

So lonely inside

So busy out there

And all you wanted was somebody who cares

All you wanted was somebody who cares

If you need me

You know I'll be there

Oh, oh ho whooooo

If you want too

I can save you

I can take you away from here

I can take you away

So lonely inside

So busy out there

And all you wanted was somebody who cared

Ooh whoa

If you want too

I can save you

I can take you away form here

I can take you away

So lonely inside

So busy out there

And all you wanted was somebody who cares

Can you please tell me

So I can finally see

Where you go when your gone." 

The last few notes vibrated gently until they disappeared. Lori opened her eyes and looked at the table wearily. She wasn't sure how Draco's parents were going to react to her song. She always figured them for classical lovers and hated rap and pop music. "So... How was it?"

"Wow," was all Draco could manage to say.

"Unbelievable," Mrs. Malfoy breathed.

"Fantastic."

"Okay...." Lori turned away and set her guitar down against the wall. "Thanks." 

She sat down again at the table and found herself staring at her meal again. She shook her head and stood up. "Lori, sit down," Serevus said suddenly. 

Surprised Lori looked at him but remained standing. He had never talked to her before. "Why?"

"We have some business to discuss, your enrollment at Hogwarts."

"Oh. I see." Lori complied and sat down as her father pulled out a folder.

He asked her a series of questions, mainly regarding what she knew in magic. Lori found this incredibly unfair since she had no idea what a spell was called to put someone in giggles. "This isn't fair! I haven't been trained enough! You're asking me questions that make no sense!" She burst out. 

"Lori you know this. You've already answered questions right and you didn't know anything. This shows you do know magic, you just haven't realized it. Now sit down."

"I don't think so." 

Lori whirled around and walked out of the ballroom, grabbing her guitar on the way out. She was angry, they were quizzing her almost as if they _expect_ her to fail. If there was one thing she hated the most it was when people doubted her when they didn't know her. Without thinking she walked out of the estate and kept walking, not even noticing when the doors she left open behind her flew shut with amazing force and she herself disappeared without a trace.

Lori found herself in a place much like her own neighborhood, only she could tell she was still in Britain. She shook her head as she watched a very fat boy her age waddle himself down the street to get mail. A tall raven-haired boy who's hair was wild and untamed followed behind the fat boy. The raven-haired boy had on glasses hiding green eyes and his hair barely covered a scar on his forehead which was shaped like a lightning bolt. 

"Hi," Lori said suddenly, catching both boy's attention. 

The blonde fat boy's beady little eyes widened at the sight of her. "H-h-hello."

"Hello," the raven-hair boy said politely. "I'm Harry, this is my cousin Duddly Dursely. What's your name?"

"Lori... Lori Snape I guess. I'm not quite sure about the last name though." 

Lori could tell she had said the wrong thing. Harry's eyes widened and he looked slightly green. "Serevus Snape's daughter?" He asked quietly.

"If you can call me that. Snape isn't exactly father material, I've already walked out on him twice. I don't like him at all; seems a little... Too serious and mean for my taste."

"Oh, well don't get me wrong but I was sort of afraid that you'd be like him. But I didn't even know he had a daughter, or family for that matter. Do you want to come in?"

"Only if you can brush me up on what's been happening the last four years in school and latest events." 

"I don't get it," Lori said for the thousandth time. Harry sighed and put his head in hands-he was trying to teach her some magic and tell her about Voldermort, and so far it wasn't working out well. They had been at it for hourson end with the history until Harry decided maybe magic would be better, but that wasn'tworking either. "I can't think of any more ways to explain it to you. You're not getting it, maybe you don't have the talent for magic or something in you," he said, exasperated.

"I come from a pureblood family... I think. At least that's what I get from what you tell me."

"It doesn't matter if you come from a lone of pure bloods, it only matters if you have the talent for learning magic." 

"Well I certainly don't seem to have it."

"Don't get discouraged, you might just... Have it in your head but you don't know it. There are spells that hide certain things from people."

"And lemme guess, only the person that performed the spell can undo it."

"I can't believe you remember that out of all the things that I've said. But yeah, that's what it's like."

"Amazing, not."

"Harry get down here this instant!" Mrs. Dursely's voice screeched. 

Lori giggled and stood up. "I guess I should go to. It was nice meeting you Harry, I've heard a lot about you. I wish I could say that they were nice things, but I really can't say." She smiled and extended her hand. "I'll see you around Hogwarts I guess."

"Why not stay for dinner? I'm sure the Durselys would love to have you here, if you didn't say your magic. Which you really aren't, are you?"

"Don't go around and insult me like that. But since you asked me so _nicely_ I'll come."

Together they left Harry's room and ran downstairs, only to see the Durselys crouched together in the living room in front of a dark cloaked figure. Figures, Lori corrected herself as she saw the other dark clad people behind the first. 

"I'm assuming this isn't normal for you," Lori whispered as she and Harry crouched together by the door. 

"Nothing ever is."

They watched as the figures stood in front of the Durselys and just watched them shake. "Where is she?" One spoke up in an annoyed tone.

Lori almost fell over. It was her father that was talking; he was one of the dark clad men. She straitened herself and walked calmly into the room and looked at the figures. "Why don't you come and look for me. What do you want, Serevus?" She asked calmly.

The man standing in front of the Durselys whirled around and looked at her, it was definitely her father. She recognized the others as Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. "Lori, come with us and there'll be no problems," Serevus hissed.

"Why should I? You've done nothing for me so why should I comply? Give a good reason, any reason at all why I should come."

Serevus whipped out his wand and pointed it at Lori. He whispered something and a jet of blue sparks jetted towards Lori so fast that she had no time to defend herself. The blue sparks hit her and Lori fell to the floor. Serevus swept over to her and picked her up, roughly binding her hands, feet, and mouth and making her float eerily off the floor. "Let's go," he told the others. They disappeared and instantly the Dursleys had confused looks on their faces. 

Harry knew that their memories had been erased so he quickly ran up to his room to hide. He didn't want to get stuck with the blame that wasn't his.

Lori slowly opened her eyes as she flickered back into consciousness. Her head dully pounding, but it was like a dull drum beat to her. She blinked as her fuzzy vision slowly sharpened and her senses awoke. She felt drowsy and stupid, like she had just woken up from a year long nap. 

Yawning she stretched out and took in where she was. She was lying in a comfortable twin sized bed in a nice room with wood floors, white walls, champagne colored curtains for the French doors leading to a balcony and the wood desk, amour, chair and nightstand.

She gave a soft moan as she sat up and looked around. There was an adjoining bathroom to her left and she found her bed was in the far corner of the room. She smiled as she stood and stretched. "Akusa? Akusa!" She called gently, expecting a large black Labrador to come trotting into the room. But nothing came to her call. Frowning, she opened her door and walked out into a hall with doors lining its white walls. There were no stairs or anything that she could see, but maybe at the end of the hall...

Yawning she walked down the hallway without a word, looking at the closed doors and wondering what was behind them. She could wonder but she didn't really care. Once she reached the end of the hallway, she found a charming wood staircase leading down into a small foriare, with the front door. Carefully she walked down the steps, stopping on the bottom step and looking around.

To her left there was a door leading off the foriare, probably some kind of office. To her right the foriare led down into a small living room, but there was also a hallway leading back, connected to the foriare. Lori sighed and went down the hallway, seeing a few more closed doors.

In front of her there were a few steps leading down into a kitchen with wooden table and chairs, with a back door. Lori was kind of shocked, there was no flight of stairs like the last time she was in the kitchen. "Now how did that happen," she uttered out loud. Thinking out loud was always something she did when she was stressed.

"Ah, I see you're awake," Serevus's voice sounded from behind her. Surprised Lori whirled around and saw him standing there behind the counter, sipping a cup of coffee. 

"Why did you take me? You could've just asked me first or told me why."

"We wanted to remove the spell off of you before you went to Hogwarts. If you didn't have the spell removed by last night, your memory would've permanently been lost, leaving you as a mental hospital patient."

"So you couldn't just ask me?"

"Judging from your performance when you ran away, I'd say you wouldn't give me the time of day."

"You're probably right. But I have a reason to be angry at you."

"Yes... The whole I didn't want you so I left you at an orphanage to live a life. I have reasons, Lori, I have reasons for my actions. Just like everyone has reasons for what they do."

Lori studied her father closely. Like a cat would study its prey before attacking. Outside he looked like a dull, mean teacher that everyone would hate; cold and reserved. But inside Lori could tell there was something else about him... She shook her head and came up to the counter.

"All right, so there's reasons for you leaving me. Fine, that's okay. Just don't expect me to be the loving, caring daughter on TV. I'm not like that."

"Fine."

"So teach me how to do this magic thing, I have a feeling I'm not only going to know how to do things but what's going on around here." 


	4. Chapter Four

****

Chapter **Four**

Lori found that working with her father wasn't easy. He yelled at her for the smallest detail that she forgot, he got mad at her for not knowing the answer, and most of all he went rabid when she didn't think. He forced her to do things right and he forced her to learn things she didn't want. He wanted her to think when she wouldn't, and he taught her how to. All in all, Lori liked it.

That's probably the only reason Lori didn't get mad. Sure they would have screaming fights but when she stormed up to her room she would laugh. It was actually fun to do that. She learned fast and even though her father almost never gave her any praise and only acid remarks, she still strived to learn more.

One day Lori was up in her room, finishing dressing when she heard her father bellow at her. "LORI, GET DOWN HERE!" She rolled her eyes and turned up her stereo. She walked over to her closed door, opened it a crack, and yelled back, "IN A SECOND!" 

Since it was still summer in England and hot-but not unsubjectible to cold fronts-Lori was wearing stonewashed hip hugger jeans with little unicorns and stars down one leg, a thick blue belt with a huge fake jewel in the middle, and a midnight-blue tanktop with a single flower on fire in the middle. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and she completed her outfit with twin matching dark blue bracelets. 

She ran out of her room, grabbing her backpack as she did so, and ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. Slinging her backpack onto her shoulder she looked at her father who was at the counter, sipping coffee. 

"Hey hey hey! People wake up and smell the coffee!" She said, a little to happy. She laughed softly and grabbed an apple, throwing it up in the air and making it roll down her shoulder and into her hand. She turned to the table and saw Draco sitting there, wearing light green robes. "Hey Draco," Lori said.

"Lori, you and Draco are going to spend the day together-"

"Like a date?"

"No, not like a date. You have to get your school supplies today and since you are both taking the same classes and you haven't been to Diagon Ally yet, I thought Draco would like to accompany you. I have work, so take this, get your books, and get yourself a pet." Serevus handed her a small bag of money. 

"Ooooh, fun! Can't wait."

"Lori, aren't you forgetting something?" Draco asked, standing up.

Lori quickly went through the checklist in her head, counting off things with her fingers. Then she looked at them with a confused expression on her face. She recounted and then stared at her fingers.

"Something called shoes?" Draco prompted.

Lori looked down and saw she was still in her socks. She laughed. "Teacher, I forgot my socks! _Accio shoes!_"

Her white sneakers came flying down from the stairs and she caught them in the air. Fast as lightning she stuffed them on her feet and tied them. "Mhm, let's go!" She said as she went for the back door. Draco went to the door and exited with Lori. He was kind of excited about shopping with her. He hadn't seen her in a while and to his surprise he missed her.

"What if you're not allowed?" Lori asked as she learned back in her chair and putting her feet up on the table. She looked around Diagon Ally-she rather liked it. It was a cute little market filled with awesome things, so much fun to explore and buy in. She also liked it because just then she was the only one wearing Muggle clothes and people were staring at her; which Lori found amusing because if anything she should be the one staring at them.

Draco snorted and stuffed another bite of his ice cream into his mouth. They were outside some ice cream shop eating, since it was hot and they were almost finished shopping. Lori had found that lugging around books wasn't really fun, even though most of them fit in her backpack. 

But she really didn't like the Monster Book of Monsters that she had to have for Care of Magical Creatures. She ended up holding it, even though she and Draco had tried endlessly to get the book to stop biting and snapping at them. Draco had tried to stroke its spine, but the book hadn't responded and kept snapping fiercely. 

It had bitten Lori and she had declared that she did not like the book and she was going to throw it out a window and into a stream if it bit her again. To everyone's surprise the book had quit snapping and laid peacefully in her arms. Currently the book was in her lap, with Lori unconsciously stroking it.

"I'm allowed to get a better broom then Potter, father said so. He said I should pick it up today if I really want it," Draco replied.

They were talking about brooms and Quidditch, the wizarding sport played on broomsticks-and Harry Potter's Firebolt, apparently the best broom this year. Until the Stallion came out. Top of its class, best broom to ever be made, and expensive as sin. 

"I see. So all we have left is your broom and my pet. Fun!" Lori said. She was quite excited about picking her pet. She had only had a black Labrador growing up, named Akusa, but now she could get another one. Since it was the wizarding world, she had a pick of cat, mouse, snake, owl, toad, or a turtle, but Draco told her it was either toad, cat or owl that were allowed at Hogwarts.

"Let's go then." They stood up and made their way to the pet shop as Lori called it. Inside she found it was dark and filled with screeching and chirping and rustling and annoying noises. But one thing caught her ear above all the noise, the low moaning of a dog. 

Lori turned and followed the noise to the far corner of the room, where there was a rather small cage with one big dark shape in it. The cage shook and the moaning increased a degree as they approached it. Carefully Lori got on her knees and walked up to the cage. Two big, yellow eyes stared at her from a mass of black. 

Suddenly the moaning kicked up into a high pitched howl of despair, making all the creatures in the shop go crazy. Things screeched louder, flapping was heard, hissing and frantic squeaks, everything in the shop was howling with fear. The witch manning the counter came over and kicked the cage, hard. "Shut up, damn wolf!" She yelled at it. 

There was a low growl and another howl, proceeding in the cage being kicked harder. "Stop that!" Lori yelled at the witch, her voice ringing in her own ears loud and clear. She saw the cage's door and without thinking reached over and unlatched it. The witch screamed as she animal emerged from its too small cage and stood.

Lori saw that it was a large, coal black wolf. Its shaggy back fur was untamed and had bits of mud and dirt embedded in it, and she could tell that there were thing stuck in its feet. Lori put her hand out and rested it on the wolf's back, quitting its growling.

"I'm taking him," she said briskly as she stood up. The witch eyed her wearily and was about to open her mouth when Lori shot her a dangerous look. She mumbled something and Lori followed her up to the counter to pay for the wolf. When she and Draco emerged out of the shop, the wolf was walking next to Lori looking proud. "Your father is going to kill you, you know," Draco said to her.

"I know. But it was either get an owl which I probably won't use or save a creature that I want and love."

"You won't be able to keep him in Hogwarts."

"We'll see about that, won't we?"

Draco shook his head but he was smiling. "I'll see if I can get my father to back you on this, Lori. But you'll owe me."

"Which I'll fulfill by helping you with your summer homework, since I've been assigned it too."

They laughed together and went into the Quidditch store, joking about homework and the latest fashions and things. 

Lori stood in her room standing in front of a mirror. Her knew pet-the black wolf she had convinced her father to keep-who she named Akura, laid on her bed dozing peacefully. Everything was quiet in the house and it was dark outside Lori's windows. Night had fallen a little too early for her liking, and she was getting a rather bad feeling about it.

She turned away from her reflection and sat down by Akura. She petted the wolf's head absentmindedly-her father had company and she knew that they were to arrive soon. But for some reason she had an uneasy feeling about them, and about this night. She could tell that Akura felt it too, she had on been with him two days but she felt like she had known him her whole life. "What are you trying to hide from me, Akura?" She asked the wolf suddenly.

Akura raised his head and stared at her with his yellow eyes. There was almost a pained look in his eyes... But that could be from his recovering from the injuries he sustained on his paws. Lori sighed and fell back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling seemed to have helped calm her before. She found that it wasn't helping now.

Suddenly she heard knocking on the door. She heard her father's precise and soft footsteps leave the room down the hall and go downstairs. He almost never answered the door, only she did and since he has ordered her to stay up in her room and keep quiet... Something was definitely wrong.

"Or he could just have a date, he is single after all," she told herself quietly. "But why would he make me stay up in my room, when the Malfoys offered to have me stay with them? Why insisting to have me close by if he has a date and why keep me up in my room?" Confused she sat up and walked over to her desk, grabbing her CD player and taking a CD off her rack. She sat back down on her bed and leaning against the wall she took one of her new books and started to read, listening to her music quietly.

She was engrossed in her book when she heard a distant sound. She sat up and looked around. There was nothing wrong, from what she could tell-it was still quiet in the house. But still something pestered her. She could have sworn she heard something.

She put her book down next to her and continued with her music. This time she turned down the volume so she could hear the music and listen to the sounds downstairs. Being as quiet as she could, she listened hard. Her reward was catching the sound again.

This time Lori knew she wasn't imagining the sound. She caught Akura getting to his feet and silently jumping off her bed. Lori stopped her music and took off her headphones, standing also. Out of instinct she reached over to her nightstand and grabbed her dagger-a last gift from her past parents. She secured the dagger in her belt loop and stood by Akura, taking a hold of his collar.

There were footsteps coming towards them and Lori's uneasiness mounted with every step until it turned into pure dread and fear. The footsteps stopped outside her door, there was a moments hesitation before the door flew open.

Standing in front of Lori was a tall man wearing black robes. He had a snake like face, red cat like eyes, silted nostrils, and a smashed in mouth. He has a purplish tone to his skin and a scaly like appearance. The site of him almost made Lori faint on spot, for some reason he sent dark chills through her body. "So this is her, Serevus?" The man asked in a husky, rattling voice.

Akura stepped forward and gave a low warning growl, blocking the man's slow haunting progress towards Lori. "Yes, master," Serevus said in a dreary voice. Lori tensed and took a step back, tripping over something. She hit the floor hard, wincing in a fast flash of pain. When she opened her eyes she was met by two huge, cat like yellow pupils. 

Unwillingly Lori's eyes widened and she backed away fast, hitting the back of her head on her bed. The eyes belonged to a gigantic snake, hissing as it rose up above her. Usually Lori wasn't afraid of anything, but this one time in her life she was so scared she couldn't move. "No... No... Please... No..." She whispered, her voice barely audible. 

She was pleading for her life with a snake. For some reason she knew what was going to happen to her with the snake and she was begging it to reconsider. She was pleading, actually lying on the floor begging for life in front of others. "Please, no..."

Lori closed her eyes as she felt the snake pull back and strike. "NANI! NO!" Someone screamed, and there was another voice but Lori couldn't decipher it. She winced as she felt the snake's fangs cut like a hot knife through warm butter into her leg, but she refused to scream. She refused to scream as she felt the hot venom being injected into her veins, she didn't scream as the snake's grip became tighter and more venom was injected.

What she did do though, was open her eyes and stare up at the ceiling, screaming for the one thing in the world that could possibly save her. "AKURA!" _Swish._ The sound of someone screaming. _Swish._ Growling and frantic hissing. _Swish._ A long howl of defeat and a rising voice of victory. _Swish._ Sobbing of an animal and the sound of angry footsteps. _Swish._ Wet liquid on her face and dry heat, an animal's heartbeat in her ear, arising scream in her throat, the burning of choking fulfilling her. _Swish. Swish. Swish._

Lori awoke with a start, jolting herself out of bed and onto the floor. She hit it hard, jolting her into a panic attack. She let out a blood curtiling scream and reached out to someone who was no there. Her heart pounded within her ears and a whispering within her head. She couldn't tell what it was saying....

A nudge, the smallest of them, making her open her eyes to stare into those of concerned yellow ones. Akura stared down at her as she collected herself and sat up. Where was she...? She couldn't remember, her room was dark and she couldn't make out any real shapes. 

She looked at the red digital numbers of her clock, deciphering them from under sweat plastered bangs. It was five in the morning of the first of September. She blinked a few times before she realized that it was today that she was supposed to be shipped off to Hogwarts with her father and Draco.

She blinked and reached out to Akura, only to find him already licking her face. She pet his neck, allowing her heart to slow down; she felt as if she had run a marathon. Once she thought she had a grip on her heart rate she shakily pushed herself up into a sitting position. 

She stood up and looked around her dark room. Everything was clean and in place, her trunk was by her door and her backpack was on top of it. She had insisted that she would use her backpack instead of a book bag like the other students-she had claimed that it was easier to use then a book bag and it wouldn't break as often. 

A sudden rage filled up inside of her. Suddenly she didn't want to be in the house when her father woke and sent her off to the Hogwarts Express. She didn't want to see him drop her off at the station and leave her on her own. It was bad enough that she was new to this magic, wasn't told she was a witch, lost her only caring family suddenly, learning her real father was alive in England and moving in with him, but she was expected to know everything that any other wizard folk was to know. 

It annoyed her greatly that she was expected to know everything, it annoyed her so much that when she confessed to something that she didn't know her father looked at her like she had lost her mind and gave her some snippy comeback to a simply confession. She hated it and she wanted it to stop, right then and there. 

She turned and walked over to her closet, being as silent as she could she pulled out some clothes and changed. Once dressed in her knee high black boots, black mini skirt (kinda like the Sailor Scouts have, ya know?), and black tank top with a silver symbol of brave on the front; she grabbed her backpack which had everything she needed in it, and opened her door. She walked down the hall, down the stairs, and silently opened the front door. 

Out on the front porch she shut the door and stood there, staring out at the still dark sky. This was it, she would show the world what she was made of. She would show them how she could do things her way and didn't need expectations. This was her chance, her only chance to get out there and rip it up her way.

She walked out into the dusk with Akura following behind her. She didn't need this training, she needed friends. That was all she had ever needed and it was all she would need.


	5. Chapter Five

****

Chapter Five

Draco waited on the Hogwarts Express for Lori. He knew she was coming to Hogwarts with him, but he didn't know how she would get to the train. She could go up to the castle with her father since all teachers are required early... But I think her father would want her to meet the students first, he thought. Parents were saying goodbye to their children everywhere, new students carefully boarded the train-most looking scared but some looking strangely confident. Then there were the other students, most Draco knew. Harry Potter, Ron and Ginny Weasly, and Hermione Granger all stepped onto the train and headed for the back compartment. 

Draco despised Harry Potter as much as a cat could hate water. It was instant dislike between them-Potter always showing him up somehow and constantly looking for attention. It was rather sickening. "I don't see why you're giving him such dirty looks, Draco. It's almost as if you were a cat looking at a puddle of water. Do you really dislike him that much?" A voice asked form behind him.

Draco whirled around in his seat and looked at the door to the compartment. It was open-he had left it open so Crabbe and Goyle could find him and come and sit next to him-and in it stood Lori. She looked rather amazing in her tall black boots, black skirt and tank top. It certainly brought out the color in her emerald eyes...

"I despise him as much as you can ever hate someone," Draco replied.

"Ah. I've meet him, he helped me with my magical background. He's nice, you should give him a chance."

Draco's eyes became instant stilts. "_He_ helped you with your magical background? What would he know about magical backgrounds-has he become the specialist over the summer?"

"He helped me with the whole Voldermort thing, ya know? He helped me understand that and tried to teach me some magic. Didn't really work but he still tried."

Draco felt a growl itching to erupt from his throat. Harry Potter helped Lori with Voldermort knowledge? Out of anything she should've come to him first... "Don't look so jealous, it's almost as if you _cared,_" Lori said, interrupting his thoughts.

"I care because what does Potter know about the Dark Lord, ehm? Nothing I beat, you should've gone to someone who has more knowledge then Potter."

Lori sat down next to Draco and flashed him her sparking eyes. "Oh? And would that someone be you by chance? Amazing... But you're not giving Potter the respect he deserves. He did know a lot about the Dark Lord, was a great help but not that much on the teaching part. I didn't really understand much about the magic or the Dark Lord, but I caught on easily enough."

Draco could feel himself start to blush. 

"Now tell me, what should I expect from Hogwarts. I want to hear everything about it."

Draco spent almost the whole train ride telling Lori about Hogwarts, giving her the best tips and telling her about secret passage ways. The Weasly twins weren't the only ones who knew the castle. Half way to the castle Lori knew all she needed to know, and spent the rest of the trip asleep against Draco's shoulder. It was tiring traveling without rest from her house to London. 

When the train stopped Lori was just opening her eyes. She got up and stretched, apologizing to Draco for falling asleep like that. Draco accepted the apology with nothing more but a, "it's okay" and they were on their way. As Lori stepped off the train with Draco beside her she was shocked to see the silhouette of her father standing on the platform, holding a lantern. 

Hagrid stood behind him, also holding a lantern-calling all of the first years to him. Regular routine Lori knew, and as most of the first years went over to Hagrid trembling because of his half giant heritage, Lori looked upon him with liking. She had seen pictures of the teachers and Hagrid from the Daily Prophet once. 

Draco pulled her over to the side, out of the way of students. "Lay low, the big oaf might think you're a new student," Draco hissed at her.

"I am. But I'm surprised you haven't noticed something new about me."

Draco regarded Lori carefully. Besides her clothes everything seemed the same... Then he caught sight of her hair. Instead of long dark red hair there was short (like a cut that comes to your ear lobes and kinda juts out, ya know) _dark brown_ hair. She smiled as Draco frowned at the change. "I cut it so you would have to look twice before you recognized me. Like it?" She whispered.

Draco nodded. "Com'on, they're leaving us." With that they started off with Crabbe and Goyle, right past Hagrid and Snape. Lori was thrilled with her victory over her father, he didn't even recognize her. 

They walked down the trail until they came upon a hundred old carriages with ghost horses ready to take them to the castle. Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Lori all climbed into one. The door closed and the carriages took off. "I can't believe you actually made it past... What are you doing?" Draco asked, looking at Lori. 

She had pulled out a small case and was opening it. She took out a small circle that had slight color on it, then balanced it on her finger and pushed it into her eye. "Color contacts, they change my eye color. Now instead of red hair green eyes, it's brown hair and hazel eyes," she said as she did the same process with the other eye. 

When she was done, she looked up at them. Everyone's mouth fell open-it was a total change. She didn't even look like Lori anymore. "Wow..." Crabbe said. 

"But what about the Sorting?" Goyle asked.

Lori grinned. "I'm glad you asked that. When they call out my name, I'll send Akura up there. Akura will sit on the stool, put the hat on, and wait. He'll then start to twitch and yowl, acting like he is in great pain. Then I'll release a Smoker and easily slip up next to him, making it seem like I came out of him. 

"This'll throw people off so then I can act like I don't know what happened. Simple, right? The effect I'm aiming for is that my father will doubt who I really am and test me, showing the other students that they should distrust me. This all means that I won't have to put up with my father and I'll have the smallest group of friends, and I won't get teased or anything. Smart, right?"

"Why not just hang with us?" Crabbe asked dumbly.

"We'll scare 'em off." Goyle agreed.

"Riiiiiiight, I'm sure. But that wouldn't be any fun."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Just keep with us and you'll learn."

"Fine."

They reached the castle and the door opened. Lori hoped out and quickly ran up the steps to the castle, Draco following behind her. They entered the Great Hall to find a huge black wolf in the hall, growling at a few students. "Akura, off, come now!" Lori called to the black wolf. He broke off from the students and ran up to her greeting her with a heartily lick. 

"Good boy," she muttered to him and she bent down and rubbed his head. Just then Professor McGonagall came bustling in. "Take that mutt out of the Great Hall this instant! We don't have dogs in the dinning area!" She barked.

"He stays with me, don't ya know?" Lori barked back.

McGonagall froze. Her eyes narrowed and she spoke in a low, angry voice. "And who are you to talk back to me, young lady?"

"Lori Snape."

McGonagall looked her over. "Preposterous, Lori is expected with the first years and she has red hair, emerald eyes. You, by all means, are not her."

"I'm not, eh? We'll see, because right now the first years are entering the hall."

Just as the words came out of her mouth Snape burst into the Great Hall with the first years trembling behind him. He froze as he spotted Lori, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and McGonagall. "What is going on here?" He hissed.

"This young lady claims she is Miss Snape, Serevus. She is not, however, since Miss Snape is with you." McGonagall replied.

"No, Miss Snape did not arrive on the Hogwarts Express. I checked all the students and all the..." Suddenly Snape's eyes narrowed. "You _changed_ on purpose?" He growled.

Lori grinned. "Nice you noticed. Like the new look?"

"I'll speak to you later about the stunt you pulled, Miss-"

"Taylor, Miss Taylor."

Snape's eyes seemed to betray him for a second. He looked mortally hurt, but then they snapped back to their cold self. "Don't do things you don't want to come back to you," Lori said as she walked off, only to sit down next to Draco at the Slytherin table. 

The Sorting went fast, there weren't as many students as there usually were. Most had fled Britain or had declined the invitation to join Hogwarts. The new students in Slytherin were Katy Seable, Talyn Blake, Roger Bign, and Oz Tignain. They looked very confident and self assured, which rather ticked off Lori. She hated people who were so sure of themselves-pig heads she called them.

Then Dumbledore stood up and raised his hands. Apparently they should be eating by now because all of the students looked quite angry and kept looking at their plates. "Before we eat, I have some important notices. First of all, no students are allowed into the Forbidden Forest. I know this will put a hamper on all your fun, but this is a serious matter," there was a twinkle in his eyes, "we have fallen on hard times with the Rising and I don't wish for students to endanger themselves with unessairy risks. 

"Secondly, no student is allowed into the lake past dark or the fifth corridor on the third floor. I can not explain why to you, and any student who is found anywhere near there will be severely punished. If you do somehow find a way into the corridor, I can assure you, you will die the most hated and painful way you could imagine." There was silence for effect, then Dumbledore began again.

"Third, we have a new student this year. She is a transfer student from America and I wish you would all make her comfortable. Please stand up, Miss Lori Snape." Lori could've sworn people gasped mentally and they all cursed as they turned to look at her. There was a low growling form under the table where Akura sat by her feet. "Hush boy, it's okay," she whispered. 

Carefully Lori stood up, not only on her chair but on the table as well. "I am Lori, though I wish not to go by my last name. Please, call me Lori Taylor, since that is the name I was given and have not yet thrown away," she said. Dumbledore nodded and Lori jumped off the table. 

"Last thing, blippy bloppy poof! Let's eat," Dumbledore said and waved his wand. Instantly the four table filled up with food. Everyone began to dig in, except Lori. "Draco, why wasn't I sorted like the others? How am I supposed to earn house points and sleep in a dormitory if I don't know what house I'm supporting?" She asked.

"I dunno, maybe Dumbledore forgot or something. Pass the steak, thanks. He is old."

"I don't think he'd forget to sort me into a house... and I have the feeling that he's hiding something, the way he looked at me after I denounced my last name-"

"He was probably just surprised, he hasn't seen you before and it's not like Snape's unknown daughter to denounce her last name in front of Snape himself."

"True, but it was almost like he was telling that was a mistake... I honestly don't know."

"Eat some food, it'll make you feel better. Your dog too-tell him to stop chewing my leg."

Lori giggled and took a steak and passed it under the table to Akura. She then herself piled some food onto her plate and began to eat. Maybe Draco was right, perhaps it was some misunderstanding... But the way Dumbledore looked at her made her think twice.

Lori ran through a corridor, pushing her way past dark shadows that followed her. She was in a blind panic, she couldn't see what was chasing her but whatever it was she couldn't let it get her. She checked behind her... There, in the shadows! A black mass was following her, sliding through the other shadows. Suddenly the shadows that she pushed past didn't seem so dark and scary, but the black mass certainly seemed a whole lot darker and had an aura around it, one she couldn't quite figure out.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" She screamed as cold, spindly fingers wrapped around her. She twisted and turned, trying to get free from her attacker. She opened her eyes and found herself in a web made of vines that were steel, cold and unmoving. She fought against the old steel vines harder, feeling the black mass getting closer. 

"Let me go, let me go!" She screamed at it. The black mass was upon her, she could feel it breathing down her neck.... Suddenly she was thrown up into the air, the steel vines still biting at her and holding her. Up, up, up she went, high into the dark night, frustrated yowls following her rising. A light ahead, so close, the rays like little suns beating down on her... then glass. A glass cage, right in front of her. It was cold, so cold like ice. 

She hit it and it shattered, cutting her into ribbons. She screamed as she felt the cold glass slice her skin and the warm blood flow from her wounds freely like a river. Yet the steel vines still kept a death grip on her and pushed her up. Squinting, she looked up and found herself standing on grass, not being pushed through the air by steel vines any longer. 

Her panic rose as she felt the black mass behind her. She whirled around and saw a gigantic black raven made of black star dust staring down at her with eyes that were suns, with a beak made of cold iron asteroids. The raven screeched and lifted its head and wings, causing the ground to shake. But yet Lori stood still.

The raven dived, coming ever closer to Lori. She couldn't move, ice had encased her legs and she was frozen. Her blood didn't move and she didn't dare breathe. The raven kept coming in, faster and faster and faster... Until finally it hit her.

There was no pain, no hurt, nothing. No sensation, no feeling, just... nothing. Lori opened her eyes and found herself in a dark, misty room. The raven's eyes stared down at her and she could dimly see it's head covered by the fog. "Dark Mistress.... Mistress of the Shadows, of the Dark Moon, of the Darkness. The light has found you... At last you have awakened. Come to me, my Mistress. Come to me..." a deep, booming voice called from somewhere around her.

Lori stared at the fog as images flashed before her. A black leather bound book with a Celtic cross on the front, embedded in its cold metal warm blood-red rubies. A pendant on a silver chain, the pendent small and in the shape of a half moon, half sun and a staff with a wolf's head. A staff, made from beautiful wood unknown to Lori, carved with a strange ornament on top of it. A place, so cold but yet so warm and homely... White wings flapping in front of her face, getting father and father form her.

She reached out to touch the wings, they looked to soft and warm... Suddenly the images stopped and she was back in the misty room-the raven's eyes staring directly at her looking like two headlights in a dark night. "The Rising is upon us, come to me my Mistress.... _Come to me, my Mistress.... Come to me...._" the voice said again. 

Lori was thrown very violently into the world of consciousness. She opened her eyes, she was covered in sweat. She couldn't remember where she was, she couldn't remember who she was....Her world was lost and she was clueless. 

****

Author's Note: Ooooh, pretty cool eh? Like it so far? I'm working on the 6th chap so that should be up soon, this is also the first HP fic I've actually posted-I have written a lot but never finished any of them. Hehehe eh.... -sweatdrop- So tell me, y'all like it? If so then I'll keep posting, I'm not sure what's going on yet... Lol, actually I do but I don't wanna give away any hints. Thanks!

-ShadowKat


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six 

Blinking, Lori looked around. She was laying half off a small bed and white sheets were tangled around her body. She untangled herself from the sheets and stood up, looking around the dark room. The one window in the room let in the mid-morning light through the white curtains, and the small room seemed to reflect the light. 

There was a dresser/night stand next to her, a closet, and a bookshelf/desk. There was a small TV stuffed in the corner, a stereo, a computer and a mirror were scattered throughout the room. The walls were pale blue, the furniture was oak with a glossy surface... It was all familiar. 

Lori walked over to the mirror and looked at herself in the mirror leaning against the wall. She was wearing dark blue sleep pant bottoms and a white tank top-her old sleep clothes. She reached out and touched the mirror's cool, smooth surface. It was real, not just some imagination.

Turning Lori walked over to her door and opened it, only to see the familiar hallway that led to the bathroom, closet, guest room, the rec. room and the study. She walked down the hall until she came to the stairs that led downstairs. Tears slowly began to crawl down her cheek, she was back home-the home she knew and loved, the Taylor's home.

Lori opened her eyes in a panic. The Taylor's, she was finally home... She bolted upright but saw only drapes... drapes of dark green all around her. She wiped away a tear as she realized that it was just a dream, she wasn't back at the Taylor's. No, they were dead and she was here at Hogwarts, the school where they taught people like herself magic and taught them how to battle an evil wizard. 

Nothing was normal here, nothing was the same-and it was never like the Taylor's... it was never like her home. 

The next morning Lori dragged herself into the Great Hall for breakfast. She didn't know how she was able to withstand the annoying glares shot at her from other students or the curious glances and whispers that seemed to follow her all around. All she knew was that she hadn't gotten any sleep and she was about to scream the next time someone asked her if she was really Snape's daughter. 

Sighing, she sat herself down at the farthest seat on the Slytherin table, idly putting food onto her plate. She didn't care what she had, just as long as it didn't make her vomit. A black shape jumped up into the seat next to her and began licking her neck. Akura had spent the night outside Lori's dormitory-she hadn't let him in because it would have bothered the other girls with his insane growling while sleeping. He still had weird dreams that seemed to rock him to the core.

"Hey Akura..." she whispered as she fed him a piece of bacon. "Whatcha been up to?" The wolf simply ignored the piece of bacon and chewed on the collar of Lori's new robes. He acted like they were some annoying insect that he wanted to get rid of. "Yeah, I don't like them either but it's what I have to wear."

Akura growled and gently took her wrist in his mouth. Lori looked down at him with curiosity. He never acted like this before... but the look he was giving her made her think twice about ignoring him. "What is it? What's wrong?" She asked him quietly. He only growled deeper and tugged at her arm.

Frowning, Lori stood up. Akura jumped onto the table and began pulling her down it, towards the exit. "What? Akura, what are you doing?" She yelled as he began pulling her with him as he ran down the table. "Akura, stop!" 

Her yells were falling on deaf ears, though. Akura kept running, almost as if he was pulling her somewhere. Finally he let go of her arm and ran out the door, acting as if this was important to follow him. Lori was curious, maybe he was playing but the look in his eyes kept flashing through her mind. There was something wrong, and he wanted her to know it. So Lori ran after Akura, out of the Great Hall and down the marble staircase into the entrance hall.

Once her feet hit the bottom step of the staircase, Lori spotted Akura sitting calmly at the edge of her vision, right in front of the staircase that led down to the dungeons. He looked at her and then down into the darkness. This perplexed Lori, what was Akura up to? She walked over to him and took a hold of his collar, looking down the staircase. "What do you want me to do? Or are you just playing with me, silly..." she asked him. 

She didn't get an answer. Suddenly Akura bolted down the stairs and Lori, having a tight hold on his collar, was taken along for the ride. But half way down the stairs she tripped and fell forward, hitting her head on a stair and letting go of Akura's collar. She rolled down the rest of the stairs and stopped at the bottom, her head bleeding and her body still. 

"Ughn," Lori muttered as she slowly opened her eyes. She blinked and felt a stinging in her eyes. She carefully lifted up a hand to feel her head gingerly. When she pulled it away, she found that blood covered it. "Ooouh, ew," she whispered as she gazed at it. Wincing, she pulled herself up off of the floor.

Her world spun violently making her sick to her stomach, but still she pushed upwards. Her body began to shake violently making her more sick-she knew her body wouldn't be able to support her. She assumed she had a blood loss, making her subjectible to very severe dizziness spells and possible fainting... All right, so definite fainting. 

Leaning against the wall she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Things were disoriented, deformed. She blinked a few times hoping that that would clear things up, but it didn't. Sighing, she pushed herself away from the wall and managed to stay upright for a few seconds before crumbling to the floor again.

"Maybe a nice nap would do good," she muttered as she closed her eyes and fell asleep instantly. 

****

Author's Note: Yeah I know, short. But the next chap is coming out soon and it has a bit more info and all. Ooooh, what WILL happen to Lori? What happened to Hogwarts? What's with the explosion? And what in the world am I planning next? Well, you'll have to read to find out. Thanks to all who have reviewed! 

-ShadowKat


End file.
